Packaging bag with brochure



April 22, 1969 P, KUHNLE 3,439,868

PACKAGING BAG WITH BROCHURE Filed Nov. 29, 196'? INYENTOR PAUL KUHNLE ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 229-62 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Packaging bag having a flat, folded neck portion which is sealed proximateto the plane defined by the top level of the packaged material and in which the panels extending above the aforesaid plane and above the seam are folded one or more times 180 degrees together with a sheet-like brochure, or the like, externally bonded to one of the panels. The bottom portion of the folded neck is either bonded to the main body of the bag, or bonded to an unfolded portion of the side panels. Alternatively, the folded neck is secured by means of an adhesive strip to the bag body.

This invention relates generally to bags for packaging products and, more particularly, to the closure portion of the bag adapted for receiving and securing a brochure such as recipe, coupon or other sheet-like material.

In the prior art it is already known to place coupons, or the like, into or on top of the goods with which the bag is filled. The bag is then closed in the conventional manner. It is well known, however, that contact between the fill goods, or the packaged material, is often undesirable for such contact may either contaminate the goods or cause the sheet-like material, which is usually printed, to be coated, scratched or crumpled. Moreover, during the shipping of the package, the brochures have the tendency to become submerged within the packaged product and locating the brochure can be a messy problem.

In order to overcome the above mentioned difficulties and disadvantages, the US. Patent 3,295,744 already teaches a bag construction in which the brochure is externally arranged. In one embodiment an adhesive tear strip is placed over the marginal edge of the neck to close the bag and lateral portions of the strip, which exceed the width of the bag, are used to receive the brochure which is then swung around 180 degrees and backed against a side panel. In another embodiment the neck panels are first arranged in overlapping relationship and secured together by a tear strip which afterwards is covered by the brochure.

The construction mentioned in the preceding paragraph makes the brochures more readily accessible to the consumer, at the time the package is opened. However, the prior art construction necessitates numerous assembly steps and machinery equipped with a considerable number of special tools. Aside from the economic considerations which are considerable, it is technically difficult in the absence of a major reconstruction of the production machinery to integrate the tools on the machine. It is also obvious that the production capacity of the machines is detrimentally affected.

Also, since the brochure is not directly secured to and completely face to face with a single side panel, the brochure will have a greater tendency to become wrinkled or mirror the surface configuration of the old fold or marginal edges which are situated in abutting relationship.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a simplified bag construction for receiving and 3,439,868 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 "ice securing a brochure or the like which obviates the need for special or complex tooling and machinery and in which the folded neck of the bag suitable holds and protects the brochure.

It isanother object of this invention to provide a bag construction in which the number of working steps for adding the brochure are appreciably reduced.

It is another object of this invention to provide a packaging bag in which the brochure is placed face to face against an even neck panel surface to avoid wrinkling of the brochure.

It is another object of this invention to provide a packagin'g bag and closure therefor of the type hereinunder consideration in which the need for either closing the neck opening of the bag or the fastening of the brochure to the neck by means of an adhesive strip or the like is eliminated.

One aspect of the present invention resides in the provision of a packaging bag which is adapted for receiving and securing a sheet-like brochure such as a coupon or the like. The bag has fiat wall panels which extend beyond the normal top level of the packaged material and forms after assembly a closed neck while retaining the flat or even. configuration due to the absence of overlapping sheets or foldlines, etc. A brochure is externally attached by direct adhesive contact to one of the flat panels completely face to face with the panels together with the brochure being folded inwardly at least once degrees.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of an upper portion of a bag and a brochure attached thereto in accordance with this invention shown in an intermediate' stage of assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side view of an assembled bag in accordance with FIGURE 1; and

FIGURES 3 and 4 are views similar to FIGURE 2 illustrating modifications for securing the folded neck portion of the bag.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 there is shown the upper part of a bag 1 composed of vertically extending panels 3 which, above the horizontal plane 10 defined by the top level of the packaged product, are folded in a conventional manner for forming a flat closure neck 2. At the lower extremity of the neck, but above the plane 10, the panels 3 are sealingly connected together resulting in a seam extending along the inner periphery of the panels transverse to the length of the bag 1. The seam 8 which completely closes the neck opening of the bag may be made in a number of ways depending largely upon the type of material used for making the bag 1. For example, in the preferred embodiment each inside face of the panels 3 is coated with an adhesive layer, or each panel is composed of thermoplastic material. Heat and pressure is applied to the neck to bond the panels together in the area of the lower neck extremity, see beam 8. Upon cooling, the seam 8 closes the bag as noted above. It is obvious, of course, that pressure responsive adhesive materials may be used obviating the need for heat treatment.

The neck 2 as shown in FIGURE 1, has a flat outer surface configuration and is not encumbered with outer folds, stepped layers, or the like. The panels 3 all terminate at one common end. A sheet-like brochure 5, recipe or coupon is detachably secured to the side panel 3a by means of adhesive spots 4 located proximate to the upper end of the neck 2. A spot 4 is deposited at each transverse end portion of the neck (or vice versa on the brochure) and the brochure is thus suspended from the neck. In order to facilitate removal of the brochure, the latter may also be perforated, the line of perforation 7 extending diagonally across part of the brochure. While point-like deposits 4 are illustrated herein, it is obvious that deposits of different configuration may be utilized together with an accommodating perforation line. Similarly, in case the brochure 5 is longer than the neck 2, the same may be folded in part one or more times.

Subsequent to securing the brochure on panel 3a, the upper part of the neck 2 is folded 180 degrees about midway of the neck, see FIGURES 2 and 3, thereby enclosing the brochure. A number of point-like deposits of adhesive material 6 are then placed upon the outer face of the turned neck portion 2 and/or upon the substantially horizontal panel portion 3b of the main bag body which is only partly shown. The folded neck is then turned and pressed against the panel 3b for a sufficiently long period of time until a good bond is established. Alternatively, an adhesive strip 9 is placed over the turned neck, see FIGURE 3, and pressed against the lower portion 1' of the bag body. The selection of the proper tying material depends mainly upon the size of the bag and the type of bag material. The prime objective in each case being that the turned neck 2 is securely attached to the main bag body so that the same will not detach during handling and transportation, while at the same time the consumer must be able to quite simply sever the bond.

Referring now specifically to FIGURE 4, there is shown a modified way of folding and securing the neck 2. Herein the uppermost /3 portion (approximately) of the neck 2 is folded 180 degrees against itself,'then the next /3 portion (approximately) of the neck together with the first third is folded 180 degrees thereby establishing a configuration as shown in the drawing. The upper /3 is then secured to the bottom /3 of the neck 2 by means of adhesive deposits 6.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A packaging bag adapted for receiving and securing a sheet-like brochure such as a coupon or the like .4 comprising: a bag body having fiat wall panels extending beyond the normal top level of the packaged material within the bag; and a brochure externally attached face to face by direct adhesive contact to one of said flat panel-s, said panels above said top level forming a closed neck and being folded inwardly together with said brochure at least once degrees.

2. A packaging bag according to claim 1, wherein said neck is folded against a relatively lower portion of said bag and is detachably secured thereto.

3. A packaging bag according to claim 2, wherein the neck and the relatively lower portion of the bag are detachably secured together by adhesive deposits located between these parts.

4. A packaging bag according to claim 2, wherein the neck and a portion of the bag located below said top level are detachably secured together by an adhesive strip extending from the outer face of the folded neck to the lower portion of the bag.

5. A packaging bag according to claim 1, wherein said neck is folded twice inwardly against itself 180 degrees and the resulting inside fold is detachably secured to the outer panel of the neck facing said resulting inside fold.

6. A packaging bag according to claim 1, wherein said brochure is fastened to the upper end of said neck by means of adhesive spots.

7. A packaging bag according to claim 6, and a perforated line dividing the area of the brochure adhesively fastened to the neck from the rest of the brochure.

8. A packaging bag according to claim 1, and a closure seam formed between said panels and within said neck above said top level but remote from the terminal end of the wall panels and effective to sealingly connect said panels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,295,744 1/1967 Turpin et a1. 229-62 v FOREIGN PATENTS 552,804 4/ 1943 Great Britain.

DAV I-D M. BOCKNEK, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 22974 

